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scrivener

scrivener

4 9.9
A person who writes important documents by hand, especially before printing
  • noun
  • /ˈskrɪvənər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : escribano
  • All those scriveners, copyists, translators, researchers, thinkers...
  • Bartleby, the Scrivener

It's Bartleby, Bartleby the scrivener and Daisy Miller peer and Isabel the brother and sister.

Examples

  • There are a number of shops that are set up to provide scrivener services.

    Blog text (19)
  • Mr. Bausch assigns Bartleby the Scrivener, a novella by Herman Melville.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • "No doubt whoever owned this manuscript paid another scrivener to copy it."

    Fiction book (1993)
  • I hadn't paid the scrivener to copy that part out.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The simplest solution to a congressional mistake, either a mere scrivener's error or a misunderstanding of policy consequences, is to have Congress fix that mistake.

    Academic text (2017)
  • Before the invention of the printing press, a scrivener was essential for producing copies of important documents.

  • In historical records, a scrivener was often tasked with writing legal contracts and agreements by hand.

  • During the medieval period, many wealthy families employed a scrivener to create beautifully written manuscripts.

Synonyms

scribe
vsscrivener
25 6.2

A person who writes or records information for other people

is specifically the historical employed role of producing handwritten manuscripts
drafter
vsscrivener
3 3.5

A person who writes the first version of a document or plan

focuses on creating complete handwritten manuscripts as an employed craft before printing
copyist
vsscrivener
1 7.7

A person who writes documents or books by hand

is the historical profession of producing manuscripts by hand before printing
penman
vsscrivener
  • Archaic
1 7.7

A person who writes for a living, for example a journalist or author

is the employed task of handwriting documents historically, not only emphasizing skill
amanuensis
vsscrivener
1 9.9

A person who writes down what someone else says

focuses more generally on producing handwritten documents for use before printing
scriptor
vsscrivener
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who copies texts by hand, often in the past

is the employed role of producing handwritten documents before printing became common
screever
vsscrivener
  • Archaic
9.9

A person who writes letters or documents for other people for money

is more narrowly the paid job of producing handwritten documents before printing
autographer
vsscrivener
8.7

A person who writes texts by hand, for example an author

is mainly the employed practice of writing out documents by hand before printing
sofer
vsscrivener
  • Jargon
9.9

A Jewish person who writes Torah scrolls and sacred texts by hand following strict rules

is the general preprinting role of producing handwritten documents, not limited to religious law
penholder
vsscrivener
  • Jargon
6.7

A person who writes the first draft of an official document

is more about hands-on production of manuscripts before printing rather than administrative authorship
documenter
vsscrivener
4.4

A person who writes or organizes information for others to use

is the historical, hand-based task of producing full manuscripts rather than modern record keeping
pen-pusher
vsscrivener
  • Offensive
7.9

A person who does simple office paperwork and little creative work

is the historical skilled task of producing handwritten manuscripts rather than routine modern paperwork

How Specialized

calligrapher
3 7.0
scrivener
  • Archaic
4 9.9
scribe
25 6.2
clerk
273 2.5

Surface Forms

scrivener singular
scriveners plural

Etymology

Scrivener comes from the Latin verb scribere, which means 'to write', and it shares the same root as common words like scribe and scribble. So a scrivener was a person who wrote or copied documents by hand, which is why the word means someone who prepared papers before printing.